My Chances at Harvard - Post All Profile Evaluation Requests Here!

taking into account your nationality, I am afraid 700 GMAT will not be enough Harvard:( what kind of extracurriculars you had? did you have any special achievements at work?

aas90:

I agree with the previous post.

First, we need more information. We barely know anything about you to make a proper assessment. Schools like Harvard look at several components in one's application including but not limited to GPA, test score (GRE/GMAT), work experience (responsibilities, projects, achievements, industry, etc.), essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and any personal stories or X-factors. What you have provided us if rather minimal to make a determination on your chances.

That being said, I agree that a 700 is going to be too low for someone with your profile, even coming from a great brand name like Amazon. Are you able to retake the exam? If so, you really target at least a 730. That will definitely put you back in contention. You should have time before R1 and definitely will have time before R2.

Good luck,
Admissionado

Hi,
I would really like to get a view on my profile. I am planning to apply for the 2022 Intake

Age: 23 yrs.
Nationality: Indian
GMAT Score: Not taken yet, Aim: 740+

Educational Background:
• Delhi Public School R.K. Puram (Grade 12) - Graduated with 92%
• Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University - Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) - Graduated with 7.56 CGPA, First Division

Professional Work Experience:
• Management Consulting Analyst at Accenture India for 3 + years
• Worked on various strategy projects across multiple sectors (FMCG, FMCD, Retail, Oil and Gas, Infrastructure, Auto) with a focus on ecommerce and digital transformation. Few of which are listed below:
o Building and Piloting a digital platform for a prominent Indian Co.
o Fleet Card Strategy for a Global Oil and Gas company (across 18 countries)
o Driving E-com Sales using Digital Marketing Strategies for an Indian Apparel Co
• Assisted in multiple recruitment drives for the company, multiple trainings in Digital marketing and analytics
• 2 internships: Del monte, Leo Burnett

Other Certifications/Research Work:
• Young Leaders for Active Citizenship, Policy in Action Fellow [2021]
• Distance course in Guidance and Counselling from Jamia Islamia

Extra-Curricular:
• Manager at AIESEC in Delhi IIT, managed a team of 4
• Delhi State Level Athlete
• Western Vocal Music, Initial with Distinction - Delhi School of Music
• Kathak, Junior Diploma - First Division with Distinction from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti
• Handpicked for Summer Workshop with National School of Drama
• Worked with National Service scheme for 2 years during college
• Part of multiple clubs in college : Entrepreneurship Cell, marketing Society, Indian Music Society, Core team of commerce department etc.
• Ex-Deputy Editor/ Operational Head for a digital publication aimed at providing a platform for underrepresented voices in India – helped launch it and worked on it for 5-6 months.

Short Term Goal: To Start my journey as an entrepreneur

Long Term Goal: My long-term goals are at the cross-roads of entrepreneurship and social development consulting and I hope the knowledge and network that I gain during my MBA will be able to facilitate that

Hi nanya18,

Thank you for sharing. Your work experience and overall profile look fairly strong, though a lot will come down to your GMAT score and personal story. As you come from a competitive applicant pool, both as an Indian applicant and a consultant, you have your work cut out for you to distinguish yourself from your peers in your MBA applications.

Personal MBA Coach has worked with many clients from management consulting backgrounds and we can certainly talk with you about how to best position your unique experience in the context of your MBA applications.

Additionally, as acceptance rates fall and competition increases, you will want to target 5 to 8 schools to maximize your chances of acceptance.

Take a look at our comprehensive services and feel free to send a note to scott@personalmbacoach.com if you are looking for help putting together strong applications for HBS and your other target programs.

Regards,
Personal MBA Coach


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Hi nanya18 - I'm happy to provide my thoughts as well. I like your work background and the variety of projects you list. Have you been promoted? If one or more of your recommenders will be from Accenture, it would be great if s/he is able to show/explain how you are performing better than your peer group.

Your ECs are also really great - but I notice that many are described in past tense. Are you currently doing any of these? It will be good to show current EC activities as well as past ones.

I think the biggest area I would want to know more about is your goals. HBS and other schools will want to see much more clarity around what you plan to accomplish, both as an entrepreneur and with the social development work you hope it leads to. Do you have a better sense for this? Although schools realize your plans may change once you get to school and are exposed to new ideas, people, etc, they want to see that you are able to create a clear plan for yourself based on what you know now. And they will also want you to explain why an MBA from their school in particular will best help you get there.

I see you have a rather long list of schools you are interested in, which is great. I urge you to fully explore which of these schools are the best fits for you -- by attending school information sessions, talking to current students, and doing other research. This may help you narrow down your list, but also will help you explain in your applications why each school is a great fit.

I hope this helps - best of luck to you!!
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Hi,

I am Indian and I work as a Senior Software Engineer and have a work experience of 6+ years. I was in Belgium based company for 6 years in India (nearly 3 years in Belgium). Now I am working for US company from India (Tech wise you can consider it as start-up but it has 20+ years history from business side).

Educational background:
B.Tech - 81.33%
College: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad.
Major: Computer Science and Engineering.

10+2: 90.6%
10: 86%

GRE Score: 323 (Verbal: 164, Quant: 159).

Extra info:
* Completed Entrepreneurship program in Indian School of Business in co-ordination in collaboration with Bocconi University in Italy.
* Won 2 international Hackathons.
* Indian Ambassador for Collibri foundation in Belgium.

Please let me know if any other information is needed. Thanks in advance.

Hello, VR46333. My first thought upon seeing your similar posts within different school threads was to suggest asking an admissions expert rather than the larger community. For my part (as a non-admissions expert), I am somewhat surprised by the lower Quant score on the GRE®, given your background. I say this not to discourage you, but the stereotypical Indian engineer has a stellar Quant score and a more pedestrian Verbal score. If you could retest and earn a similar Quant score to your Verbal score, I think you would stand a much better chance at top-tier schools. (Understand, I hate the admissions game, but I cannot deny what I have learned about it over the years.)

Good luck. Keep working toward your goals, no matter what anyone says, and adjust your approach accordingly.

- Andrew

Hi VR46333 - I'm happy to share some brief thoughts about your profile. I see in your profile that you are also interested in Stanford GSB in addition to HBS - are you considering any other schools? As I'm guessing you know, coming from India, you are in an overrepresented demographic for these top programs, which means you will likely face additional competition. Your GRE scores are low for these two schools - do you think you could get a higher score if you take the test again?

There is a lot of additional information that will drive your chance of success. For example, your international experience is great (particularly that you worked overseas for three years, if I'm understanding correctly). But what can you demonstrate in terms of leadership and impact at work? Did you get promoted faster than your peers?

And do you know where you want to head in terms of short and long term goals, and can you explain how an MBA from these schools will help you get there? Both schools are looking for people who want to have a big impact in the world, and have already demonstrated leadership and the ability to make things happen. You will need to get them excited about your story - where you have been, where you are headed, and how they fit into that picture. These schools are considered stretch schools for even the very best candidates, but you will improve your chances if you can raise your scores, demonstrate leadership and impact in and out of work, and tell that compelling story about where you are heading and why.

I hope this is helpful - best of luck to you!!
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Hello VR46333,

Thank you for your post. A few thoughts and questions for you:

Looking at your GRE score, you may want to consider working to maximize your score. While a 323 is quite strong, the average reported score in HBS's most recent class profile is 326. Given that you come from a competitive applicant pool as an Indian engineer, differentiating yourself with a strong GRE score will be even more important.

It sounds like you have some strong work experience, though I would like to know more about the type of work that you have done in these roles. Naturally, business schools want leaders, and Harvard Business School places a particularly large emphasis on leadership.

Leadership can also be found in the form of extracurriculars, so it would be helpful to learn more about your experiences listed in your "extra info" section.

What other programs are you targeting along with Harvard Business School? Personal MBA Coach recommends applying to 5 to 8 programs, particularly as competition increases and acceptance rates fall.

If you are looking for guidance with your HBS application and your other target schools, do not hesitate to send a note to scott@personalmbacoach.com. We regularly help clients get into the M7s and other top business schools via our comprehensive packages, and work with a lot of software engineers.

Regards,
Personal MBA Coach


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Work experience - Will be completing 4 years work experience with McKinsey and Company as a data scientist.
Undergraduation - Completed my undergraduation from one of the top engineering colleges (Delhi Technological University) in India in Mathematics and Computing Engineering.
School - Got 10 CGPA in 10th and 97% in 12th boards CBSE
GMAT - Got 700 in GMAT (Q49, V36, IR4, AWA4).
Others - Have been involved in various social and co-curricular activities such as National level Horse riding, State level Air Rifle Shooting, Command level football, etc

Is aiming for Harvard ambitious, realistic or sureshot?

Age: 28 at program start
Nationality: german
GMAT Score: 740 (Q48, V42)

Educational Background:
- B.Sc. in Management (top 20 school, gpa 2.7)
M.Sc. in Management (top 30 school, gpa 3.7)
analyzed failure of German utility to adress renewable energy in the early stages of the energy transition and decided to join the energy industry help solve the climate crisis

Professional Work Experience:
- 3 years in boutique consultancy in energy industry (promotion below target time)
- 1 year in larger consultancy, also focused on energy stratgey

Extra-Curricular:
- volunteered for disadvantaged high school students as i could relate due to trouble concentrating earlier in my life (explains low gpa in b.sc.) -> tutored kids during bachelor and recently helped in a 7 day bootcamp that supports such kids

Short Term Goal:
- transition from consulting into investment banking (goal to join a team focused around the energy industry after successfully joining)
- alternative: get into equity research

Long Term Goal:
- use skills from ER / IB to fill a senior corporate finance role. within this function i strive to further advance the energy transition of the 21st century

Would be glad to get some feedback whether I should give it a shot or not.

Posted from my mobile device

Hi mtvmtv,

Thank you for sharing your profile. Your profile looks good on the surface. To begin with, your undergrad GPA is good, and you have a high GMAT score. On the work front, your desire to work in the energy industry is unique. You noticed an issue and decided to join the industry to resolve it. It's fantastic, and AdComs will appreciate it. I also see a good career trajectory, you will need to demonstrate your potential and impact and share how you secure an early promotion. You didn't provide many specifics about your work, and I'd like to understand more to gauge your chances. Talking about your ECs, they are one-of-a-kind and reflect your personality to contribute to society. Harvard has placed a strong focus on significant leadership experience for numerous years. So, be sure to include all these in your apps.

Your post-mba goals seem in alignment with your prior work experience. You may want to read an article on how to frame practical post-MBA goals essays, you will get some insights. Overall you have a good profile and a unique story. What's going to matter most about your application is how you link experiential dots and make a great narrative. If you need more guidance, we are happy to hop on a call with you sometime this week to answer any of your concerns and discuss your further chances at Harvard. Feel free to book a free session with us as per your convenience.

Cheers!
Neha Hadke
Profile Analyst & Community Manager, MBA and Beyond
Testimonials
Email: neha@mbaandbeyond.com




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Demographic: 28, Scandinavian, Male
GMAT Score: est. 700

Education:
BSc in Maritime Administration (2018) 3.47/4.0
MSc in Finance and Accounting: (2020) 2.85/4.0

Work-Ex:
Currently working as senior consultant at Big 4 (2020 - Present: 1 year, will have 3 years of experience before joining Business School). Fast tracked, promotion from consultant to senior consultant in one year.

Worked part time at worlds largest transportation company, for two years (2017-2019)
Interned at worlds largest transportation company, PMO/M&A (For 8 months in 2017/18)
Worked part time at major Scandinavian bank (for 4 months 2016)
Worked part time as a bookkeeper at a small firm (for 8 months 2016)
I focused more at gaining work experience, than improving my GPA, since this was crucial in landing a fulltime job after graduation.

Extracurricular:
Board member of Mensa (Country chapter)
Semester exchange to WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, Germany (2019)
Semester exchange to Texas A&M, USA (2017)

Languages:
English (Fluent), Danish (Native)

Role after MBA:
Consulting / Business Development / Operations

Aiming for the following universities:
INSEAD
London Business School
HEC Paris
Judge Business School
Saïd Business School
Columbia (Maybe)
HBS (Maybe)
Wharton (Maybe)

Hi everyone, looking to get some feedback on my viability for an M7 MBA

I'm a medical doctor with 3 years experience but I have a very low GPA (both in undergrad and med school). I plan to sit GMAT by end of year and have a history of scoring well in standardized exams - if we were to presume a strong score (~740+) to offset my GPA how are my chances?
For whatever it may be worth, I have an MD from a top 50 medical school (as per QS university rankings)

Background: 33 year old caucasian male (Australian)
Undergraduate GPA: 2.95/4.0
Work experience: 3 years as a medical doctor at a large metro tertiary hospital in a major city in Australia - 1+ years as a front-line doctor in the COVID pandemic
Post MBA goals: entrepreneurship in biotech/pharma start-up or VC in a similar space
GMAT: yet to sit - aiming 740+
Leadership: teaching/mentoring of medical students and junior doctors

I'm ideally targeting H/S/W

Thanks for reading

Hi MRNA

Thank you for your post. Personal MBA Coach works with MDs every year and we can certainly talk with you about how we can best position your experience in the context of your applications.

Given your low GPAs, you will definitely want to ace the GMAT if you are targeting M7s like Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton. While securing a 740 should situate you well, a 760 would give you a competitive edge and really help you stand out from the crowd. Personal MBA Coach offers customized tutoring services with tutors who have scored in the 99th+ percentile and are graduates of MIT, Harvard, UPenn, Yale, Columbia and more. Most tutors have 780+ and even perfect scores.

Are you considering any other schools? I suggest widening your net, particularly given that competition is increasing and acceptance rates are falling lately (think 5 to 8 schools here).

If your long-term goal is VC, you're going to need a broad set of finance and valuation skills, so I would focus on adding some additional schools with strong finance programs: CBS, Booth, Stern and Anderson are all strong options.

Feel free to send an email to scott@personalmbacoach.com so we can further discuss your candidacy and application strategy. We would be happy to help set you up for success here!

Best,
Personal MBA Coach



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It'd be greatly appreciated if anyone could evaluate my profile!


Background and nationality: Korean(US & Korea dual citizen), currently working in Korea.
Undergrad Information: Top 70 US University, GPA 3.12
GMAT: 760 (Q 50/ V 41)
Work experience and leadership: 70 months matriculation at top-tier local investment bank in Korea. Structured overseas alternative investment products (real estate, trade finance, infrastructure, etc.) 2 promotions.

Community and others: Tennis coach for volunteer
VP of student club during college
Worked for an institute that teaches juniors in finance

Post MBA goals: Join a private equity focusing in alternative investment.

Others: Served in the Korean military for 2 years

Hi acehorse7 - I'm happy to share some thoughts with you about your profile. Your GMAT is great - congrats! - and will help offset what is a lower GPA for Harvard.

Congratulations, also, on two promotions - is that typical given the timeframe, or have you been promoted faster than your peers? Harvard wants candidates who can demonstrate leadership and impact at work, and can show that they are performing better than their peers (via your recommendations and perhaps your own examples).

HBS will also want to see leadership experience demonstrated in your extracurriculars. It's great that you are coaching tennis -- are there ways that you can demonstrate leadership? Is your work teaching finance to juniors still going on?

Your post-MBA goal seems well aligned with your experience, particularly in alternative investments. You will need to explain what impact you want to have, and what you're hoping an MBA from HBS will help you develop to get to those goals.

Are you applying to other schools? HBS is a stretch school for even the very best candidates. Although you do have a couple of things working in your favor, I think your overall chances will depend on your answers to the questions I've asked, and how well you are able to tell your story and connect the dots in your life (past, present, and future).

I hope this helps - best of luck to you!!
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Background: Korean-American
Undergraduate: University of Washington/GPA: 3.81 (Top 10% of Class)
GMAT: 710 (Q51/V34/AWA:5/IR:5)
Work Experience: ~72 months of full-time work experience by matriculation.
Worked at start-up biotech company that was eventually acquired by largest biotech in the world - was hired as 70th employee (worked at start up for 5+ years before acquisition).
Currently scientist/project manager - 5 promotions since hire date.
Post MBA Goals: Work as R&D strategy manager

Extracurriculars
Vice President of two clubs in college
Tennis player, swimmer, and personal trainer for others
Medical volunteer in the Philippines for a month - worked in the hospital and started a sex education initiative
Elementary English teacher in rural Korea on government scholarship

Awards
Patent with company
2nd author on published scientific paper
Tennis Tournament Champion
College Swimming intermural champion
College Research Award
Science and Engineering Scholarship

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Hi acehorse7,

Thank you for your post. A 3.12 undergrad GPA is on the lower side so it is great to see that you have secured a strong GMAT score to help offset this.

As far as your experience, you have some strong elements here. Military experience is definitely appreciated and can help your application. The leadership experience you have is very hard to get in the corporate world and admissions committees appreciate that, particularly at a school like HBS that has a large emphasis on leadership.

Looking at your post-MBA goals, you will really want to think about how you will make your unique mark in PE. A lot will also come down to articulating your personal story, the area where we find our clients need the most guidance.

We have worked with a lot of folks from military backgrounds to help frame their experience in the context of their applications, as well as many with investment banking backgrounds. We would be happy to help set you up for success!

Do not hesitate to send a note to scott@personalmbacoach.com to further discuss your candidacy and application strategy.

Best,
Personal MBA Coach





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